Going the Distance
by Nondescript
Summary: This is a story with old and new characters of mine. There is a string of murders plauging the Massive, and an investigation is already underway. However, when the Tallest's top advisor is targeted, he decides to take care of things ... personally.
1. Initial Murder

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Invader Zim.  
  
Warning: There will be some slash in this story, though not too heavy. So far there is Red/Purple and I will warn you if any I plan any more, which I probably will.  
  
/* This story has some of the same characters as my original Tah stories, but I assure you it is completely different. Even Tah has a slightly different personality and the storyline is completely different. I've taken out a lot of romance and put in more mystery, mostly because the romance in my previous stories seemed somewhat forced to me. If anything develops, it will do so naturally. There will be no Tah/Pur romance at all, seeing as it just seemed strange to me that there was no Red/Pur going on. If you don't like that sort of thing, I'm not making it a major part of the story, but it is there. Enjoy! */  
  
A man, not extremely tall but tall enough to gain a certain amount respect, stormed down the hallway with an electric energy. People squeaked and swerved out of his way, realizing that a collision with someone so determined would mean danger. A low growl of annoyance sounded deep within his throat as he clutched his datapad with white-knuckled claws. 'This is not good,' he thought repeatedly. 'Which is the best way of approaching the Tallest with this?' His devious mind worked on the problem, hoping to come up with a solution that wouldn't make the two rulers too fearful of the situation. This was just the sort of thing that would rile them up, and they were never easy to deal with when upset. "My Tallest!" he called as he reached the transmission room where they took messages. They sat on their thrones, Red with a brainfreezy and Purple with his hand buried in the chip bowl.  
  
"What's up your robes, Roe?" asked Red in a brashly casual voice, his smile as arrogantly confident as usual. Purple leaned back in his chair, giving a secretively sly smile in the direction of his co-Tallest before bringing his full attention to their advisor.  
  
Roe forcibly relaxed his shoulders and gave an apologetic grin, deciding it would be best to seem calm. "Just work, my Tallest. The most recent invasion took a lot of organization - and we have to start planning how we'll attack the next planet. That and I thought it would be prudent to inform you Keer was found murdered in his room..." He hardened his face into an unconcerned grin as he watched his Tallest's reactions.  
  
Purple's antennae sank with fear and Red's face flushed with anger. "Keer the Prime General?!" He pounded his fist on the armrest of his throne, causing a loud thud. "What do you mean he was found murdered in his room? How was he found! I want answers, Roe!" He pointed at the advisor with a livid, quivering finger.  
  
Roe shrugged his shoulders as if the occurrence was of no real importance before knitting his brow in a customary show of mourning. "He was found hung in his bedroom by one of our marauders - seems he'd sent a message probe for her just moments before she found him. I'm not surprised, frankly. He wasn't altogether liked and I can think of a number of people who could've done this thing - I assure you I'll have a Special Forces team look into it." He bowed his head and wiggled his antennae in a respectful salute.  
  
Red lessened his fierce glare and glanced at Purple, who was slumped in his chair with a frightened little frown. "Do you think the murderer will come after us?" asked the violet Tallest in a small voice.  
  
Again Red turned to face Roe with a scowl. The advisor cupped his hands together in a soothing gesture, "I don't think there's much of a chance of that, my Tallest. We'll know for sure once the criminal is caught - which they will be."  
  
"You'd better make sure of that!" growled Red as he sat back in his throne. Roe bowed again and turned to leave, hearing his Tallest's voice as he walked out the door, "Don't worry, Pur - if anyone comes, I'll protect you!" The advisor rolled his deep orange eyes and smiled to himself. 'That didn't go too poorly,' he thought as he hurried to the Special Forces main office.  
  
He was met by a heavy-set Irken with dim red eyes and a pair of thick shoulders. He didn't look like much of a secretary, but was sitting at the main office desk either way, scrolling down a datapad with a confused expression on his face. "Ahem," coughed Roe, getting the large secretary's attention. He looked up and immediately stood at attention.  
  
"Roe, sir! Sorry, I didn't notice you, sir! Not that you aren't noticeable, sir, but you came in very quietly, sir!" He wiggled his antennae and clicked his boots with a soldier's precision. "Do you want to see Graf, sir? I'll get her for you, sir!"  
  
Roe smiled after the 'secretary,' enjoying the melodramatic respect he received. This soldier knew who he was - and how powerful he could be. He waited until the secretary returned with a somewhat short yet well-toned woman with hard lavender eyes dressed in a nebulous black uniform. She saluted him and nodded her head. "What is your command?" Her Special Forces followed the directions of none other than the Tallest and their advisor...  
  
He replied in a sharp, businesslike tone, not needing to deceive her about his mood. "I'm sure someone informed you of Keer's murder. I want you to have someone investigate it. Doesn't seem like too much of a threat, but I assured the Tallest the perpetrator would be caught. Do I have as much from you?"  
  
"Of course, Sir Roe! The murderer is as good as executed!" There was a cocky spark in her clear, lavender eyes that left no doubt as to her perceived future success. She saluted him once again, "It is as good as done!" With a sharp nod she turned and marched out of the room, heading for her own personal office. She entered and flopped herself at her desk, considering who she might be able to spare. As Roe indicated, it would probably be a rather cut and dry case. Maybe one of the newer recruits should take it so they might get some experience... She opened one of her drawers and fumbled around until she found a small, black device shaped as a ball. She pressed a button with her black gloved finger and the probe began to hover slightly before her. "Message for Agent Tah!" she barked in her deep, rather masculine voice, "Send her to the office of Prime Agent Graf! . GO!" The ball buzzed away to search out its target. The agent in question didn't work too far away and was soon before her commanding officer. She was merely slightly taller than a middle-sized Irken but still managed to look gangly in her pressed black uniform. Her eyes were dark maroon in color and her small mouth was drawn in a serious line. She held the black message probe in her gloved hand.  
  
"Yes, Ma'am?" she asked as she saluted. Her voice was very soft, almost sounding like a whisper.  
  
"Call me Sir, rookie!" barked Graf in a harsher tone than she'd really intended. "I'll have no Ma'ams around here!"  
  
The female agent straightened. "Yes, Sir!" Even her curved antennae seemed stiff with militaristic rigidity.  
  
'Probably fresh from Devastis...' Graf mused as she looked the agent over. "Right. Prime General Keer was found murdered in his room this morning. I want you to find out who did it. All the information you'll need is here." She slid a datapad across the surface of her desk toward Tah, who obediently took it up and held it primly against her chest. "Understand?" She watched with slight amusement as the young agent glanced around with confused hesitation.  
  
"Y-yes, Ma - er - Yes, Sir! I'll do my best!"  
  
Graf leaned forward in her chair, purposefully steepling her fingers and narrowing her eyes to seem more intimidating. "You better make sure you're best gets the job done, soldier - the Tallest and their advisor are counting on your success."  
  
The agent grew more and more pale the longer she stood there. She nodded quickly, her expression almost too serious for Graf's taste. "Yes, Sir! I'll make sure I succeed, Sir!" The Prime Agent waved the rookie away and waited until the door hissed shut before she leaned her head back and cackled.  
  
Meanwhile Tah marched down the hall, reading the information on the datapad she'd been given. She couldn't believe Graf gave her such an important mission. Excitement coursed through her veins at the opportunity, but the sensation was accompanied by fear. She was newly assigned to the Special Forces and wasn't sure she could handle something so important. The Prime General, after all, was in charge of all levels of the marauder class. Certainly there would be political ramifications...  
  
She shrugged off her worry and assaulted the datapad with her curious eyes. The Prime General was found hanging in the middle of his room by a cord. Signs of injury were found about his face and arm, indicating he'd been in some sort of struggle. His body had been cut down and sent to the mortuary, but aside from that the room hadn't been touched. The person who found him was a marauder who he'd apparently sent for moments before. Tah scrunched her face - it would have taken more than a moment to kill the General in the fashion described in the report. She marked down a list of things she needed to do as she changed her direction toward the infirmary.  
  
"I need access to the mortuary," she explained to a white-clad nurse when she arrived at her destination. She flashed her identification and the nurse nodded. He stood up and placed a sign announcing his absence and anticipated return on his desk. Tah followed him down a series of white- painted hallways, completely oblivious to the sick hospital blandness of her surroundings. Instead she concentrated on familiarizing herself with the details of what her report said the Prime General's injuries were - a broken neck of course, a black eye, slight bruising around his wrist and shoulder... She was let into the room where his body lay with a number of other fresh bodies. His body was spread across one of a line of tables, covered from antennae to boot with a bleached white blanket. Tah thanked the nurse and he walked away, leaving her to examine the former-General. She stepped to his bedside and gently pulled the cover away, revealing his dead, pasty face. She grimaced as she looked at his expression - though his eyes had been closed the remnants of fear still stained his features. She gulped - he had known he would die. She worked to compose herself, straightening her shoulders as she finished uncovering his body. His shirt had been removed and she could clearly see the injuries described in her report. Every mark on his body seemed to indicate he'd been involved in some struggle before being strung up and hung. She leaned back on her heels and thought about the situation, all the while concentrating her hard gaze at the body. She knew what to do - she'd have to examine his room next and then interrogate the witness, but she wondered why she hadn't been assigned a more experienced partner to help her in her first real mission. She let out a quite sigh and covered the victim in his final shroud once again, leaving him to the medical authorities.  
  
It was but a short, brisk walk to the former bedroom of Keer. A guard stopped her on her way, shoving her away with a standard issue spear. "None shall pass!" he growled menacingly. Tah blinked at him, surprised at his violence.  
  
"I'm here to investigate," she tried to explain.  
  
"None shall pass!" repeated the guard. "I'm not allowed to let curious girlies pass - this area is restricted."  
  
Tah blinked again before clenching her jaw with annoyance. "Look, I'm with the Special Forces. I was assigned to -" She held out her badge, inches from the belligerent guard's face.  
  
"Oh! Oh!" The guard came to a realization and stepped aside, his face flushing purple with embarrassment. "Yes, Ma'am! I wasn't aware someone had already been assigned to investigate the room!" He paused to smirk, "Especially someone as sweet-looking as you!"  
  
Tah's shoulders stiffened at the guard's sudden flirtation. She turned her head and stood tall in hopes her posture would bespeak of her authority. "Guard!" She said in a slightly harsh tone.  
  
It was apparently not harsh enough, because he simply broadened his smirk and asked in what he figured must be seductive tones, "Yes, sweet Ma'am?"  
  
Tah narrowed her maroon eyes and puffed out her chest. "GUARD! I want to see fifty push-ups NOW! On the floor!" She pointed dramatically at the ground. The guard, acting half on instinct and half in shock, dropped to the floor and began his task with trained efficiency. Tah smiled down at the guard, proud of her handiwork. She'd never had an opportunity to use her rank as a tool of power, and she found it rather convenient. She nodded her head with satisfaction and headed to continue her investigation.  
  
She stopped dead when she saw the inside of the General's old room. It was extremely spacious, as was expected since he was of such a high rank. What surprised Tah was that the room reminded her of what she always imagined a pimp's love pad would look like. Everything from the gigantic bed in the center of the room to the lush shag carpeting to the stools standing at the bar were colored in extravagant shades of red. Pictures of half clad females, barely passable as something other than porn, lined the walls on all sides. Tah's mouth hung wide open as her wide eyes glanced about until she noticed the cord that hung from the ceiling. Her professional side took over as she scanned the room once more. The thick carpeting left traces of footprints, and she could clearly see where the officials had walked toward the body to cut Keer down and drag him away. There were other signs on movement throughout the room, but Tah had no way of knowing whether they were caused by a scuffle or the normal goings on in the room. She discounted the footprints and allowed herself to walk over to the cord. She held the cut end with one hand and examined it closely. Cords generally weren't common on spaceships, but she recognized this kind of cord. It was generally provided to the marauders lest they need such a thing while in battle. "Always useful to have a good rope in hand," Tah absently said before remembering this rope was used to murder. She stepped back from the scene and mused. From the particular way Keer's sheets were tossed about on his bed, it was reasonable to assume his assailants had forced him to stand up there, tied the rope around his neck, and pushed him off. What happened was simple enough to deduce, the hard part would be finding out who had done it.  
  
Tah made some short notes in her datapad before wondering to herself whether the assailants had hid and attacked after Keer entered the room or if they followed him through the front door. It was usual protocol to lock one's room, but Keer had been expecting someone. Tah decided she'd go interview the marauder who'd found him after she finished her preliminary examination of the room.  
  
Hours later Tah had no fingerprints, no clues, nothing at all... Her last task was searching Keer's drawers to see if anything useful might be found. So far she'd found nothing more than his cloths, some personal possessions, and some objects Tah was disgusted to know existed. She gagged as she quickly shut one drawer, trying to erase the mental image of the Prime General using such a painful-looking device in unmentionable acts. She heaved a great sigh and shuffled toward the last drawer left to explore. It was the drawer to his bed stand, and as Tah opened it she expected to find nothing more than a variety of exotic sex toys. She did find those, but along with them was a piece of paper, unfolded and face up with the words written on it left exposed for the universe to see. She carefully lifted it up and read the words (written quickly in plain, black ink), 'Keer, you bastard! You will never cheat on me again! Die!' Tah scrunched her face in confusion. It was an obvious clue, but if the murderer was going to give a declaration of motive, why would he or she stuff it in the bed stand drawer? Tah made a thoughtful noise in her throat before setting the note back where she found it and closing the door. She pulled out her datapad once more to make a note on this peculiar clue when something on her screen caught her eye. "Hey!" she couldn't help exclaiming. She'd been looking forward to interviewing the marauder who'd found the body, but the clock in her pad informed her of the hour and it was much, much too late to ask any questions. Tah sighed as she resigned herself to waiting for the morrow and left the room, glad to see there had been a changing of the guard.  
  
/*What do you think? Who do you think the murderer is and why have they done it? Was it Roe, who seems so unconcerned with the death of one of his fellow high-ranking officials? Was it Graf, who sent a newbie to investigate the crime? Was it an angry lover or perhaps someone we've yet to meet? Please let me know what you think and what you might like to see happen in the story. I give no guarantees, but I assure you I will put any and all suggestions into consideration. Thank you. */ 


	2. Questions

It was deep into the designated night hours at the ship and Roe only now headed toward his chamber. He usually went to bed at a reasonable hour, but there was the issue of deciding which planet should be invaded next, and the Prime Admiral wanted to order a new line of ships, and there was the question of who would replace the Prime General to be considered. The next day was riddled with back to back meetings and it was about time he got to sleep. He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to massage the stress out as he accessed the code to open his door. It slid aside with a sharp hiss and the tired advisor finally lumbered into his room. Every night he was greeted with a steaming cup of tea and tonight was no exception. He headed toward his table, barely able to keep his eyes open from sleepiness, when he suddenly stopped. Something was wrong. His antennae perked as he glanced around the room. Something was different. The things on his dresser were all askew.... He glowered at the dresser before storming toward it and setting everything right. "The maids KNOW not to mess with my things!" he burst out in a frustrated voice. He understood he was sometimes rather particular about the way he liked things, but he was the advisor to the great and almighty Tallest, the third highest ranking person in the Empire, and he figured he had a right to have the maids not mess with his personal items. He made another angry grunt before he headed back to his table where his tea awaited. He sat down, but just sat there for a long while. He was still tired and still angry about his dresser. It had been years since he'd had to tell the maids not to move his stuff, and he'd never had to worry about it since he'd hired Pra as Head Maid. She'd always made sure things were right. She was completely trustworthy as a servant.  
  
A cold chill ran down Roe's spine. He didn't believe in 'feelings', but he did believe the unconscious mind could detect things that perhaps the conscious mind could not. He felt very unsafe at the moment, and he could almost imagine someone was waiting there - watching. Then again, there was probably no real danger. He did live on the securest level of the ship, and it was incredibly unlikely there would be some intruder. He moved to pick up his tea when he stopped. A bug - a small, black bug was swimming in his tea! "How did that get here?" Roe wondered as he stared menacingly at the insect. He'd have to order more tea. However, for the moment he was content to sit and sleepily watch as the bug made small circles in the greenish fluid. He sighed as it hopped out, none the worse for wear, and began to crawl about the table. It flexed its miniscule body and lifted itself into the air. It rose a few inches before it fell directly back on the table, landing with its feet up in the air. Roe started and squinted down at the creature. It was dead.  
  
A chill attacked him once again. This time Roe decided to listen to his unconscious and left the room. Something certainly wasn't right, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it. First he'd have to get a new room for the night and send a crew to examine his. He sighed and grumbled as he moved down the hall - he hated late nights....  
  
The first thing Roe did the next morning, before he allowed himself to get bogged down in official business, was to ask the investigatory team about his room. Poison. His tea was poisoned and someone had been waiting for him to drop dead. The perpetrator hadn't been caught, of course, but he'd left evidence of his presence. He turned to Graf, who of course would be in charge of such an important investigation. "I don't want anyone knowing about this - I'll take care of this myself."  
  
Graf scowled and stared at him with her steely lavender eyes. "That does not follow the general procedure, Sir Roe." There was obvious disagreement in her voice, but he was one of the few people she was required to listen to.  
  
"Those are my orders - follow them. If I need your assistance, I'll let you know. The last thing I need is rumors of my impending doom flying about. Understand, Prime Agent?"  
  
She rolled her eyes and kept her hands firmly pressed against her hips. A tinge of annoyance still laced her voice, "Yes, Sir. Come to me for anything you need, Sir."  
  
Roe smiled - a rare genuine smile. They'd known eachother for a long time and each understood the other's brilliance. She was concerned for him, even if she wouldn't show it. He wiggled his antennae and briskly walked away. There was one more stop he had to make before beginning his already overscheduled day. He turned a few corners and directed himself toward the main transmission room, where the Tallest would already be reviewing important information for the day. He first paused before entering. Red and Purple generally kept their romance to themselves, but for some reason felt perfectly free flirting around him - he supposed it had something to do with the closeness of his professional relationship with the two. He activated the security code and the door opened.  
  
"Give them back! I'm the one who ordered them, so I should be the one to eat them!" Purple chased Red around their twin thrones, trying to recapture a plate full of taquitoes.  
  
"Oh, Pur," soothed Red as he mischievously gnawed on one of the stolen snacks, "Didn't they teach you to share in scholar training?" He cackled as he dodged across the room, always remaining a step or two out of Purple's reach.  
  
"They're mine," whined the violet Tallest. "And I want them! And sharing doesn't mean giving them all to you!" Purple made a mad lunge at his lover and fell flat on the floor. Roe hurried to help his monarch up.  
  
"Are you all right, Sir?"  
  
"Roe!" Purple pointed toward Red, "Advise him to give me back my taquitoes!"  
  
"Er... Well, my Tallest -"  
  
"HEY!" Purple turned his head to see Red giggling as he stuffed taquitoes down his throat. "Don't eat all of them!" Purple lunged once more, and actually succeeded in tackling his opponent. The two tumbled onto the floor with Purple landing on top. Red immediately wrapped his arms around him, making a low, seductive purr deep in his chest.  
  
"Eep!" Purple stood quickly and looked around. "Now look! They're all over the floor!" He motioned to the leftover taquitoes that had been flung about during the chase.  
  
"So?" Red crouched down, picked one up, and took a large bite.  
  
Purple made a disgusted noise and pointed to a random communications officer. "You there! Get someone to clean this up. You!" He pointed to another random officer, "Order more taquitoes!"  
  
Roe straitened his collar and cleared his throat. Purple was too flustered to listen, but he was able to get Red's attention. "Got something to say, Roe?"  
  
"Yes, my Tallest. See, word around the Massive is that the troops are feeling rather restless..."  
  
"Don't I know it!" Red flopped himself on his throne, "sitting around here all day is boooooooring!"  
  
"Yes, well, I thought it might boost moral to have some sort of banquet - some formal affair the troops can all look forward to." He gave his leaders his most convincing smile.  
  
Purple turned his head toward the conversation, "A banquet? That's a great idea! Red, let's have a banquet!" He jumped up and down with excitement.  
  
Red glanced toward his comrade. "...okay. Formals aren't my thing, but it's cool. Organize it, Roe."  
  
The advisor bowed his head and wiggled his antennae. "Yes, my Tallest." He walked out of the room, proud of his success. Certainly his would be murderer would attend, and then he could start getting an idea of who the traitor might be.  
  
########################################################################  
  
Through the mists of sleep Tah became somewhat aware of a repetitive beeping. She stretched and yawned, still entangled in the confusion that accompanies the early morning. She lifted herself up and peered about. The beeping came from her standard-issue alarm clock. She slammed her hand against it, switching it off. She groaned as she pulled herself out of bed and began the daily ritual of getting ready for the day. She'd been up half the night exploring that room of Keer's and today she had to interrogate some marauder who happened to be called in. Tah scratched her head tiredly. It was a good possibility this marauder could have been involved, but then again, evidence for that would have to wait. Right now the unlucky marauder was held in one of the detainment centers - for her protection of course. Tah took one last look at herself in the mirror to make sure everything was to regulation quality and marched out the door, ready for another day of work.  
  
As she entered the detainment center she prepared her datapad. Her face was emotionless toward the numerous prisoners that stared at her with mistrusting eyes as a guard escorted her down the corridor. She really didn't notice them since her mind was focused on the task at hand. She waited as her escort opened the door to a certain containment room. Behind the door sat a rather short female with bright pink eyes and sharp features restrained especially for the interview. Another chair was set out for Tah at the opposite side of the room. She seated herself and tried to smile at the detained marauder, who grinned at her in a most disconcerting, wicked way. "Hello," she started, wiggling her antennae politely, "I'm here to ask you a few questions."  
  
"I know," said the marauder in a strangely confident voice. "I've been waiting for you for the past few days."  
  
"I'm sorry. There was preliminary investigation I had to do before visiting you. I assure you your detainment is meant for your protection."  
  
The marauder rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, just get this done, honey. I actually like my job, so the sooner you get done the better."  
  
Tah blinked at the confrontational style of the small Irken. The way this woman looked at her - was she offering a challenge? She shrugged and glanced down at her pad. "Clay -"  
  
" - First Class Marauder," interrupted Clay in a proud voice.  
  
"First class? That is impressive..." It was so rare for such a short Irken to be a first class anything. She studied Clay for a moment, wondering about what must be her exemplary fighting skills. She made a note on her datapad. "Now Clay, I want you to tell me exactly what happened when you found Prime General Keer. Please, leave nothing out."  
  
"You think I'm going to leave something out? What kind of -"  
  
"I assure you I merely want you to think very -"  
  
"Oh, shut up. Okay, listen to this. I got this message probe from Keer. I had no choice but to comply. See, it's not - or wasn't - exactly unusual for Keer to call some female to his room to make some sort of ... proposition. I thought I was safe but apparently he'd developed some sort of new short fetish." The marauder cringed at the thought.  
  
"How long was between the time you got the message probe and the time you found the Prime General?"  
  
"I was in training room B5 at the time, so it took about five minutes to walk there. ...I took my time."  
  
Tah made a note. "Alright - what did you see when you opened the door."  
  
Clay sighed, as if she'd told the same story many times before. "I activated the sensor so he'd know I was at the door. He didn't come so I activated it again. After the third time I considered leaving, but thought I'd get in trouble if I didn't at least see him. I opened the door using an emergency access code and the first thing I see is him hanging over his bed, all beaten up. It looks like someone first punched him in the face then kicked him around a little. I'm - used to seeing the dead in battle. It wasn't too bad - I went right to Massive Security and reported the incident." Then her voice turned angry. "I didn't think they'd put me in here!" She glared at Tah with an expression of pure resentment, puffing up her tiny frame.  
  
"In what condition was the room when you found it?"  
  
Clay paused in thought. "I didn't really look around, but nothing seemed out of place. I mean, his room is weird enough."  
  
Tah unconsciously nodded in agreement as she asked her next question. "Were you ever involved with the Prime General?"  
  
This caused the fiery marauder to erupt. "Was I involved? NO! What kind of Irken soldier do you think I am? Not only is it against regulation, but he must have mated with half the females in the unit! I'd be a laughing stock! You think I'm some sort of floozy or something? I like to party, but I'm not some tall-hunting sex object who'll mate with anything an inch above their head!" The woman squirmed against her restraints as she yelled at the startled investigator.  
  
"Er - alright." Tah took note of Clay's reaction. "I believe you. ...I think that's all I want to ask you for the moment."  
  
Clay's brilliant pink eyes widened. "What do you mean?" she asked in an almost helpless tone. Her voice then regained its confidence. "Don't tell me you're going to make me stay longer. What is the point here? Aren't I more valuable training for the next ground battle? Come on!"  
  
Tah thought for a moment. There really was no reason to detain the woman. If she was involved in the murder, it wouldn't be worth it to try and escape the Massive. Tah could see this marauder's Irken pride was too great to try and abandon her unit. "Okay. Guard, release her." She smiled at the obvious look of surprise and pleasure that spread over Clay's face. She hopped to the ground and arched her head up to look at Tah.  
  
"You're smarter than you look, but you're rude." She smiled and crossed her arms.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You never told me your name? What kind of investigator are you?"  
  
"I - I'm sorry. My name is Tah."  
  
"Tah." Clay tried the name in her mouth, as if tasting it. "Eh - it's okay." With this final observation the short marauder walked out the room, giving every guard she could find a look of extreme superiority. Tah smiled after her.  
  
/* Finally finished it! I'm sorry it took so long to update - I'm a new college student with little to no time management skills. Was this chapter very boring? Not much has really happened yet - *sigh* Got any suggestions or ideas? I'm willing to listen to anything.*/ 


	3. Rising Shadow

Roe marched into his office with his customary vigor, more out of habit than anything else. The truth was that he was dead tired. Thanks to his tea debacle last night he hadn't gotten much sleep, and he'd been in monotonous meetings all morning. It didn't help that he now had a banquet to plan. He still needed to assign somebody to organize the food preparation and decoration, not to mention the music. He collapsed into his chair and picked up the datapad that was waiting for him. He stared at its illuminated surface. On it were the names of the five lower generals along with detailed information about each. One of them would be chosen to become the new Prime General.  
  
The advisor leaned back in his chair and cracked his stiff neck. In truth, it was the Tallest's job to do this research and decide who would be promoted. However, Roe knew that Red and Purple would just ask him who he thought would be best, and if he didn't know, they would ask him to do the work for them. He closed his tired eyes and sank lower in his chair. It was such a soft chair. Being the top advisor, he had pretty much the best of everything at his disposal. There were times when he considered taking a vacation and enjoying the privileged life his station permitted. It would be so nice, to just relax in some fancy resort and forget all life's cares. Forget that there were deadlines to meet and the Tallest to deal with. Forget about how important he was supposed to be and about how someone wanted to end his life.  
  
He suddenly snapped to attention. He didn't have time for such nonsensical daydreaming. Although he was relatively young considering his high position, and retirement a long ways away, he figured he could wait until then to relax. Today he needed to work, so he straitened himself up and began on his task.  
  
On another section of the ship someone else was also hard at work. Tah sat at her work station holding up the note found in Keer's nightstand. The handwriting on the paper was very neat – not at all what she would expect from an infuriated and jealous murderess. She pursed her lips with frustration. Although this was the only real clue she had, she was dissatisfied with it. The strangely neat handwriting and the fact it was hidden away in a drawer was very odd. Maybe this wasn't a note left by the murderer after all, but a note given to Keer by an angry lover that he just happened to have kept. Either way, the computer would soon give her a list of all on board who had similar handwriting to that found on the note. She quietly scanned the image and typed in a command. Moments later, a very short list of only one name appeared. Tah's jaw dropped.  
  
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Graf leaned back in her chair and rested her booted feet on top of her desk. She'd never allow any of her subordinates to see her this relaxed, but she figured she could spare a moment today. She was alone, and no one would be able to catch her slacking. Besides, things had been incredibly busy as of late, and the stress was beginning to pile up. No one would know it by her hard exterior, but even Graf grew weary of the constant and monotonous motions that characterized life on the Massive. Soon she'd have to round up some security for the banquet that was scheduled soon. Promotions were coming up, and she needed to review everyone's record. A string of burglaries was plaguing the nurses. There had been a theft of a valuable statuette in the gift shop, and the perpetrator needed to be caught. One of her most talented new recruits was investigating a politically charged murder. Along with all these regular considerations was the annoying fact that someone had attempted to poison Roe, and the fool wanted to take care of things personally.  
  
"Sir!"  
  
The Prime Agent started when she realized another person was in the room, which caused her too lean back too far in her chair and topple onto the floor. She immediately stood and straitened herself up. After that she turned her lavender eyes toward her visitor. "You didn't see that!" she growled.  
  
"Of course not, Sir," agreed Tah in a subdued monotone. "I am simply here to request the authorization to do background checks on some high-ranking officials, Sir. For my investigation..."  
  
"Yes, yes... I hadn't thought about that, soldier. You will need to look up some dirt, won't you?" Graf opened a drawer in her desk and looked about. After a short time she found what she was looking for and pulled out a purple-colored metal cylinder from the drawer. It had a plug on one end and a recording device on the other. "Turn around." Tah did so, revealing her Irken survival pack. Graf connected the cylinder to her pack and spoke into it. "This is Prime Agent Graf. I hereby give top-level investigatory authorization to Agent Tah, Third Class." Graf then disconnected the recording device and stuck it back into her drawer. "Well, that's taken care of... Now, if anyone gives you any trouble, and tries to pull rank on you, just let them hear that message and things ought to go just fine. Do you hear me soldier?"  
  
Tah was still facing the opposite wall. She jumped when her superior barked at her. "Yes!" she yelped as she quickly turned around and snapped her heels at attention. "I mean, yes Sir!" The girl stiffly saluted.  
  
"I will not have you daydreaming in my presence, soldier! From now on, I want you to get enough sleep at night, so you won't be doing it in my office! Is that clear, soldier?"  
  
"Sir! Yes, Sir!"  
  
Graf smiled at the rigidity of her underling. She didn't have to be this harsh, but she had to admit she got a kick out of watching this young Irken jump. She had such a completely serious look on her face. Graf absently wondered if the girl had any hobbies. She sat at her desk and examined the agent. "Tell me, Tah, how's the investigation going?"  
  
"The first day went well: I examined the body to confirm the findings in my report and then examined the former General's bedroom per regulation. This morning I interviewed Clay, the marauder who discovered the body. Her story checked out, so I let her go." Tah listed out her activities as if she were giving a formal report. Graf wondered if the girl realized she was having an informal conversation.  
  
"Very good," commented the Prime Agent as she steepled her long claws in thought. "What do you plan to do this afternoon?"  
  
Tah cleared her throat. "Well, Sir. As you most likely know, the former Prime General had quite the reputation. I intend to see if he had any regular girlfriends who might have felt threatened or betrayed by his extracurricular activities." Graf silently chuckled when she saw the slightest hint of a blush shading her agent's face. Maybe Tah had emotions after all... "I also intend to do a background check on the generals – anyone who might get promoted because of Keer's untimely demise. Also I need information on our Tallest's advisor, Roe –"  
  
"Roe?" Graf started at the name. "Whatever for? He doesn't stand to gain anything from the Prime General's death. Did you hear anything?" Graf did her best to control herself, but she could already feel her back and neck stiffening with anger. For Roe to take over the investigation of his own attempted murder was one thing, but for him to recruit HER people to help him was absolutely out of the question. If he needed help, he was instructed to go through her! The Prime Agent could feel her jaws clench. Roe certainly did not have the authority to use her resources, and this time she would call him on it.  
  
Tah paled at her superior's surprise and apparent frustration. "I, er, I'd heard rumors that the Head Advisor didn't care for the Prime General, Ma'am, I mean Sir. I know it might sound ridiculous, Sir, but a man like Roe might want to get rid of an incompetent general and I just need to do a basic background check to make sure I cover all my bases, Sir. He's by no means a prime suspect but I'm just trying to make sure my investigation is thorough, Sir.  
  
Graf visibly calmed. "Oh. Ah, I see. Well then, that's fine. I apologize, soldier. I didn't mean to question your performance; you're desire to be thorough is admirable. I'm working with a separate issue concerning Roe, and the mention of his name surprised me." She forcefully chuckled. "Must be overworking myself."  
  
Tah formed her small mouth into a weak smile. "Y-yes, Sir. I've heard about the upcoming banquet, and I'm sure the Head Advisor was here to talk to you about it. You must have a lot of different things you're working on, Sir, and I'm sure they all get jumbled up from time to time."  
  
Graf nodded and waived her subordinate away, somewhat embarrassed about the mix-up. "Carry on, agent. Carry on." She watched as Tah left and then heaved a great sigh. Maybe she really was stressed out.  
  
On the other side of the door Tah was also heaving a great sigh, but this was a sigh of relief. For some reason unknown to herself, she didn't want to let the Prime Agent know that Roe was a suspect.  
  
Instead of worrying she immediately set to her next task. She needed to find out about the Prime General's various women, and whether any had shown signs of mental or emotional instability. For a brief moment she thought about who to ask, but only one name came to mind. She opened the menu on her datapad and spoke an instruction, "Find Clay, Irken Marauder, First Class." The location of the marauder instantly popped up, and Tah hurried in that direction.  
  
Clay was found in a training room, lifting weights. When Tah entered, she was mightily impressed – she had no idea a person that small could lift something so large. She cleared her throat, which caused the marauder to look in her direction. "Oh, please!" complained Clay as she rolled her eyes. She put down her weight and approached the agent. "Won't you people leave me alone?" She puffed out her small chest in a show of defiance.  
  
"I'm terribly sorry, Clay, but I have a few questions to ask you. I assure you, these questions are not personal. Firstly, I was wondering if you could tell me ..." Tah hesitated and looked around. The room she was full of female marauders. The same females whose personal lives she'd be asking about. "Um, maybe we should go somewhere more private. Will you follow me to my office?"  
  
From her expression it was obvious that Clay understood Tah's reason for secrecy, but this didn't mean she wasn't going to complain. She sighed dramatically. "I suppose I could stop in the middle of my work out and interrupt my entire day's schedule to answer your questions. After all, what's the opinion of a short, marauder first class to that of a tall, agent third class?" She said this last stinging remark with a cocky grin, and Tah didn't know whether the comment was meant as an insult or a joke.  
  
Once they arrived at Tah's small office, the agent invited Clay to sit down. There was only one chair, and Tah's feet were terribly tired from walking all day, so she unconsciously sat on the floor. This startled even Clay. "What are you doing?" asked the marauder in a confused voice.  
  
Tah glanced up from the datapad she'd been studying. "Pardon?"  
  
"Is it regulation to sit on the floor like some kind of domesticated animal while you conduct an interview? Where were you raised – a space pub?"  
  
"Wha? Oh! I'm very sorry!" Tah began to hurriedly stand when she was stopped by her companion's forceful voice.  
  
"No! Stay! Screw convention and sit wherever the Irk you feel like! Besides, I'm not giving this chair up to you!"  
  
Tah blinked. "I wasn't going to ask you to... Well, I think we should begin. I wanted to ask if you knew anything about who the former Prime General Keer ... dated around with. Was there anybody he saw in particular? A steady girlfriend, if you will?"  
  
Clay closed her bright pink eyes in thought. "Hmm... Let me see. I don't think there was anyone he was real serious with. I mean, anyone could see he had several conquests. All the time." Clay snickered. "Sometimes at the same time. But, anyway, no, there wasn't any one particular girl. However, I can give you a list of three or four who saw him on a somewhat regular basis. He was a fairly powerful guy, after all, and that attracts some women." The marauder rolled her eyes. "They were always kinda jealous of eachother, but none of them seemed particularly homicidal."  
  
Tah was surprised at Clay's cooperation. From her earlier experience with the marauder, she'd figured this interview would be an ordeal. Then again, she doubted Clay had any desire to protect any of these loose women. She made a note on her datapad. "Thank you very much. I assure you that you will remain anonymous. Now, if you could give me the names of these women, I would much appreciate it."  
  
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Somewhere in the bowels of the Massive, in a room filled with screens, sit about a dozen Irkens, directing transmission traffic in and out of the ship. Despite the monotony of the work, these Irkens hold themselves with pride and take their work very seriously. Few jobs on the ship are as important as theirs, for they are trusted with the task of making sure that every ship in the Armada can communicate with the Massive, that every Invader can contact their Tallest, and that any outgoing transmissions meet their proper destination. If a message is meant to go to the Tallest, the message is routed to their throne room. If a message is meant for a particular individual on the ship, the message is routed to wherever that person is on the ship. And as communications officers go, those on the Massive are held in higher esteem, for they are the most trusted communications officers in the entire Irken Empire, who handle the most important and delicate transmissions of them all – those sent and received by the Almighty Tallest.  
  
Since working on the Massive is every communications officer's dream, only the most qualified are allowed the opportunity. These officers do not chat or goof off while doing their job, but sit quietly and constantly concentrate on the task at hand. A common feature among the communications officers on the Massive is their relatively tall height. Naturally this fact goes into consideration when such positions are staffed. Yet somehow, one extremely short Irken made his way to such a position. His name is Dak.  
  
Dak was a fairly nondescript Irken, short with strait antennae and red eyes. His most noticeable characteristic, as a matter of fact, was his steady personality and good work ethic. He came to work on time every day and took short breaks. He was on the way to one of these short breaks when he smelled something ... odd. The stench was coming from the coffee room. Since he was heading there anyway, he decided to investigate. The door slid open, which caused the smell in the hall to intensify dramatically. It was something like, burnt coffee and Greluian sea slug. Dak hesitated for a moment, concerned about the probable mess that he was to find. He slowly stepped in, and screamed. 


End file.
